Having your own students advertising books can be
a great way of getting more students to read. The American
Film Institute website is also a great place to find ideas for
your classroom, including the "Best Quotes" idea
presented below.

AFIís recent tribute to movies in the form of developing a list of
the top 100 quotes from movies got me thinking.How many of us have lists of books for studentsí summer
reading?How many of us ask
that they write book reports on what they have read?No matter what form these reports take in terms of length or
comprehensiveness, can we agree that these reports often end up being
less about how much fun the book was to read than they are about
answering a list of forgettable questions about the book?

So, hereís my idea.When
your students return to school this August, instead of that book report,
ask them to find a phrase or sentence from the book that encapsulates
the theme of the book or a memorable character from the book.The student has to use critical thinking in order to select just
the right phrase or sentence.I
think a great way to showcase this effort is to create a poster for the
book that contains the selection; along with the title and author, the
student could include a graphic of some kind.Once the poster is complete, it can be hung in the media center,
in the school hallway, or your own classroom.What a great way to advertise a book!

To get you started, can you guess the book from which these quotes
were taken:

1.
"Greasers will still be greasers and Socs will
still be Socs. Sometimes I think itís the ones in the middle
that are really the lucky stiffs."

2.
"Have you seen this wizard? Approach with extreme
caution! Do not attempt to use magic against this man!"

3.
"What does it mean that Germans despise me simply
because I am a Jew?"

Answers:

1.The Outsiders, S, E, Hinton

2.Harry Potter (Prisoner of Azkaban), J. K. Rowling

3.The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne Frank

For more information on the American Film Institute, quick click the
link below:

Learning in
Hand is an
educator's resource for using some of the coolest technologies
with students.

Learning in Hand is
written by Tony Vincent. Tony taught fifth
grade in Omaha, Nebraska for six years, and three of those years
his students were pioneers in educational handheld computing.
Then, as technology specialist at Willowdale Elementary, Tony
brought the newest technologies into classrooms. Whether it was
digital video, blogs, email, podcasts, or handhelds, Tony helped
Willowdale teachers and students understand the usefulness of
new technologies. Currently, Tony is self-employed as an
education consultant. He conducts workshops, presents at
conferences, and writes books based on his teaching experiences
and passion for new technologies.

Always excited to
share, Tony has documented much of what he knows about handheld
computing and podcasting on his website, learninginhand.com.
There you'll find useful software collections, the best webs
links for handhelds, complete lesson plans, and an informative
blog.

Tony is a teacher who
wants to make education effective, relevant, and fun. He knows
handhelds are small computers that can make a big difference in
classrooms! He hopes Learning in Hand inspires and motivates
teachers to use technology that students crave.

I've been on
Twitter since February 19, 2007 and to celebrate my 10,000th follower,
I'd like to share some interesting Twitter tools.

My
Tweet 16Enter a username to view their first 16 tweets. I'm very
embarrassed by my first tweets.

Favstar.fmType in a Twitter username to see their most popular tweets.

Strawberry
JamSee the most popular links that have been mentioned by those
you follow on Twitter.

Twitter
TussleCompare the frequency of words or phrases mentioned on
Twitter.

BufferAdd a bunch of tweets into Buffer and it will share them for
you throughout the day.

VisibleTweetsType in a hashtag or other Twitter search and the results are
presented fullscreen and animated. This is great for displaying tweets
during an event.

When
Do They Sleep?Enter a Twitter username into sleepingtime.org, and it will
determine the user's approximate sleeping schedule based on when he or
she is least active on Twitter. It's actually pretty accurate for my
sleeping time.

Thanks to everyone who
follows me and an even bigger thank you to those I follow! I cannot
begin to tell you how much I've learned from Twitter over the years.

There
are six modules designed to test the basic ability of an
individual in terms of Memory & Concentration. Needless to
say this is the most important basic skill for not just to
survive but also to thrive in this competitive environment.
Each of the six modules tests the six variants of Memory &
Concentration in an individual, namely:

1.

Picture
recognition

2.

Paired Associate
Learning

3.

Immediate Recall

4.

Serial processing

5.

Parallel
processing

6.

Recognition and
Recall

Each
of these modules runs at three different levels, from easy to
difficult.

At each level, the individual's performance is depicted as
Scores Obtained.

A feedback has been built into the software for all these 18
levels depending on the marks one scores during the
test.

Each individual can assess his/her performance any time by
clicking on "history", which gives complete details
of date and time of taking the tests, marks scored each time
and even time taken to do the test. This builds the confidence
level and encourages more participation to eventually
culminate in improvement and enhancement of memory and
concentration.

Essentially, this software is a SELF AWARENESS tool that
surely motivates the individual to realize one's capability
and seek or be receptive for improvement. Also, if repeatedly
done over a period of time works as Training tool to enhance
their capability.

This
software package is specifically designed to help young
children to learn basic skills that will help them in
school. Continued follow-up will give these young
learners success as they mature.

Three versions of the software exist:
Individual Software on either CD or Online, Family
Version Software, and an Institutional Software package.

StarTeaching wholeheartedly supports
and endorses this software. It will make a difference
with your child or student.

Student
Teachers' Lounge:
For The Things They Don't Teach You In College

Outdoor Writing

In the spring especially I like to take the students outside
to write. This makes a nice contrast from the classroom and can
be a great reward for good classroom behavior. The favorite of
my classes are journal writes, because students get to choose
their own topics. Whatever type of writing you choose, make sure
your students incorporate their observations of the environment
around them.

Brainstorming is the name of the game here. We want our students to
observe the natural world around them and then incorporate those details
into a piece of writing. I will often ask for 20 or more triggers
(individual pieces of brainstorming) at each observation point. Each
write should increase the number of triggers so students are further
challenged as they get better at observing.

Before going outside, we discuss what to look for. I tell students to
use all of their senses. Start with the sky, the clouds, sun, and wind.
Observe the temperature, the feel (and taste) of the air, and sounds
around them. Try to focus on nature, not man-made noises. Then move down
to trees. Watch the leaves and branches move, check out the shapes of
the trunks, and feel the texture of the bark. Finally get to the ground.
Observe the soil, the sand or clay or dirt, and start checking out what
is covering the ground. Pick up the leaves, grasses, acorns, and twigs.
Describe each in detail, again using every sense. Also watch for
wildlife, be it birds, bugs, or other critters. Remind students they are
there to observe, not interact with nature, so no killing bugs or
bothering critters.

You'd be amazed at the variety of observation/writing points there are
around your school building. I have about a dozen such places around the
school building and grounds that my classes use. Each takes only a few
minutes to reach so we can easily travel there and back and have plenty
of time to write all in the span of a class period.

Generally students are quite spaced out, so I have to huff it around to
check on their progress. I make it a rule that students must be at east
20 feet away from any other student. I remind students this is an
observing and writing activity, not a discussion or talking activity.

Its important to share the students writing, especially if you can do it
outside. Stop a bit early, gather the troops, and allow them to share
(but be wary of requiring them to share!) I allow students to read all
of their piece, read selected parts, or just tell us about it. Its a
non-threatening event, and try to give positive feedback - you can
critique later.

I always have students pick up a few pieces of garbage on the way back
in. Each day will require a slightly different number of trash pieces
depending on how much I see on the way out. This helps teach the kids
the importance of keeping their environment clean. Your school
administrators and janitors will appreciate it too. And it only takes a
few moments to do this, but imagine all the garbage your entire class
can find! Take your kids out even once a week for a few weeks and you'll
be amazed at how much nicer your school grounds will appear.

Writing outside can be a fun and memorable educational experience for
your students.

Be sure to check out our website for the FREE teacher Who-I-Want-To-Be
plan and other great Freebies for new teachers. Simply click the
following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Mark
Benn is a Technology Integration Coach for VARtek Services, Inc. Having just completed almost 25 years as an educator for Inland Lakes Public Schools, and having received a Masters of Science in Educational Media Design and Technology from Full Sail University in 2010, he now works in a position that supports teachers of K-12 classrooms in the southwest Ohio region that are interested in integrating technology into their learning environments. VARtek Services mission is to be the best provider of managed technology solutions for enhanced learning in the KĖ12 marketplace. Our website is:
www.vartek.com

Wow! Telling it how it really is! I just had to share
this article pulled from CNN's website:

In the late 90s, feature stories began appearing in the national
media about children and parents who were so overwhelmed by the amount
of homework that it was destroying their family life and causing
psychological damage. The evidence presented in these stories was often
anecdotal, profiling just one or two families. However, the articles
were published in enough respected publications that they sparked a
national debate on whether children have too much homework. Schools
scrambled to create homework policies, parents held protests, and
children began to receive sharply mixed messages on the value of
homework.

In all the fuss, people never realized that the information contained
the articles simply wasn't true. In 2003, the Brown Center on
Educational Policy at the prestigious Brookings Institution released a
report that shattered the perception that American students are
staggering under an unreasonable load of homework. In fact, they found
just the opposite: American students probably don't spend enough time on
homework. Gathering data from a number of studies that had been
performed in the late 90s, the Brown Center drew four startling
conclusions.

Typical students, from kindergarten to high school, don't spend more
than an hour a day doing homework. In fact, pointing to a study done by
the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, the Brown report found
that more than two-thirds of college freshmen did five hours or less of
homework during their final year of high school.

The report also analyzed studies and concluded that the homework load
for the average student has not increased appreciably since the 1980s.
This is in direct opposition to the anecdotal evidence cited in the
article of homework increasing to as much as three hours per night.

However, a study performed in 1997 by Michigan State University
showed that children at that time were spending just over two hours per
week on study, which could include activities other than homework.
Interestingly, this study is often used to prove that students have too
much homework, since the weekly hours spent on study increased over the
life of the study by 23 minutes. The Brown Center postulates that this
statistical increase was actually caused by children who previously had
no homework at all and because they had advanced in grade, now had
homework.

Finally, the Brown report found that, contrary to the articles'
portrayal of militant parents protesting homework, most parents are
satisfied with the amount of homework their children receive. In fact,
if parents were dissatisfied with the amount of homework their children
had, it was because they felt it wasn't enough.

A variety of different methods of teaching reading have been
advocated in English-speaking countries. In the United States, the
debate is often more political than objective. Parties often divide into
two camps which refuse to accept each others terminology or frame of
reference. Despite this both camps often incorporate aspects of the
other's methods. Both camps accuse the other of causing failure to learn
to read and write.

Sub-lexical readingSub-lexical reading, involves teaching reading by associating
characters or groups of characters with sounds or by using Phonics
learning and teaching methodology. Sometimes argued to be in competition
with whole language methods.

Lexical readingLexical reading involve acquiring words or phrases without
attention to the characters or groups of characters that compose them or
by using Whole language learning and teaching methodology. Sometimes
argued to be in competition with phonics methods, and that the whole
language approach tends to impair learning how to spell.

Historically, the two camps have been called Whole Language and
Phonics, although the Whole Language instructional method has also been
referred to as "literature-based reading program" and
"integrated language arts curriculum". Currently (2007), the
differing perspectives are frequently referred to as "balanced
reading instruction" (Whole Language) and
"scientifically-based reading instruction" (Phonics).

Phonics advocates assert that, to read a large vocabulary of words
correctly and fluently requires detailed knowledge of the structure of
the English language, particularly spelling-speech patterns. Whole
Language advocates assert that students do not need to be able to sound
out words, but should look at unknown words and figure them out using
context.

Whole LanguageThe whole language methodology involves the teaching of reading
skills and strategies in the context of authentic literature. Word
recognition accuracy is considered less important than meaning accuracy;
therefore, there is an emphasis on comprehension as the ultimate goal of
reading. In a whole language classroom, students are immersed in a
literature-rich environment, in which they are given the opportunity to
appreciate real-world purposes for reading.

Initial teaching alphabetThis method was designed to overcome the fact that English
orthography has a many-to-many relationship between graphemes and
phonemes. The method fell in to disuse because children still had to
learn the Latin alphabet and the conventional English spellings in order
to integrate with society outside of school. It also recreated the
problem of dialect dependent spelling, which the standardisation of
spelling had been created to eliminate.

The legends of the Michigan Dogman come alive in six haunting
tales by folklore author, Frank Holes, Jr.Based upon both mythology and alleged real stories of the
beast, this collection is sure to fire the imagination!

Spanning the decades and the geography of the
Great Lakes
State
, Frank weaves:

A mysterious police report of an unsolvable death in
Manistee
County

A
terrifying encounter in the U.P.ís remote
Dickinson
County

A BLOG,
begun as one manís therapy, becomes a chronicle of sightings
from around
Michigan

A secret
governmental agent investigates the grisly aftermath of Sigma

A pioneer
family meets more than they expected on the trail north

A
campfire tale of ancient betrayal handed down through the Omeena
Tribe

The business world tells us that they want
people who are good at collaboration. Being that our job is to
prepare the students for the future, this skill should become
part of what we teach in the classroom.

Planning and preparation are key to getting your groups underway. The
first thing to do as you prepare to use group work as part of the
learning process is to setup your groups. Never allow the students to
set up the groups; you are only inviting disaster. There are many ways
to set up groups. I like to spread the abilities out among the groups.
The smartest student isn't always the one who can lead the group
through to a conclusion. I also like to mix boys and girls up in the
groups. They tackle problems from different ways, so it enhances the
learning taking place. Also, change the groups after every section, so
they learn to work with different people. This makes it a more real
world experience.

Size of the group is another part of the equation. A lot depends on the
lesson being used. Two person groups are fine for a short-term group
that lasts one day. If you are going to have it go longer, the group
should be at least three to four students. The reason for this is the
fact that what is the group going to do if the next day one of the
students isn't there? With three or four students you will at least have
a group of two or three to continue on if someone is missing.

As you begin the groups, realize the students may not know how to work
in a group. This is something that we as teachers shouldn't take for
granted. Talk about using listening skills, the fact that only one
person is speaking at a time. Explain that arguing doesn't solve
anything. They must learn, when there are differences of opinion, to
share why they feel the way they do and support it with reasons. We also
talk about the importance that everyone be a participant in the group
process. Another thing I tell the groups is that they are not to ask me,
the teacher, a question until they've talked about it in the group. If
the group can't answer the question, then I will gladly help them out as
a group. This fosters dependence on their group. Focus is the most
important part of using groups as a tool for learning. If you as a
teacher don't provide a structure within the lesson, you will lose the
students.

I like to call this the "Driving Question". This is what they
are to be focusing on as they work together. Decide what you want them
to learn, set the goals, and then communicate to the students your
expectations.

In conclusion, from observation and research that collaboration (group
work) when used properly can be an excellent learning tool. I hope you
will find using this learning tool as stimulating and rewarding as I
have, both for the students and yourself.

Use this link to access this writing assignment on our
website for your own classroom use:

Be sure to check out our website for the FREE teacher Who-I-Want-To- Be
plan and other great Freebies for new teachers. Simply click the
following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Kindle weighs only 10 ounces and is 1/3 of an inch
thick, yet it holds over 1500 books!

Order your very own Kindle by clicking the link below:

Are There Other Teachers in Your
School or District Who Would Love to Receive Our Newsletter?

Be sure to
pass along our website and newsletter!

"Administration Test"

Themes
on Life

This
simple, 4-question quiz will let you know if you are ready to
become an administrator...

1.
How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

The correct answer is:
Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe and close the door.

(This
question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly
complicated way.)

2.
How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

The wrong answer is:
Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant and close the door.

The correct answer is:
Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant
and close the door.

(This
tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your
actions.)

3.
The Lion King is hosting an animal conference, all the animals
attend except one. Which animal does not attend?

The correct answer is:
The Elephant. The Elephant is in the refrigerator.

(This
tests your memory.)

OK,
even if you did not answer the first three questions, correctly,
you still have one more chance to show your abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross. But it is inhabited by
crocodiles. How do you manage it?

The correct answer is:
You swim across. All the Crocodiles are attending the Animal
Meeting!

(This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.)

According to
a Leading Management Consulting firm, around 90% of the management
professionals they tested got all 4 questions wrong.

(But many preschoolers got several correct answers.)

This conclusively disproves the theory that most management
professionals have the brains of a four year old.

What's New @
StarTeaching?

Welcome to our first June issue. This month, our web partner Tony Vincent shares
some great connections to your Twitter account and tech writer Mark Benn
shares an article written by a teacher who tells the parents what we all
really wish we could say to them!

We are also featuring excellent articles
on teaching reading and summer reading. We'll also examine some
data on the debate whether students have too much homework.

Look for more real math problems from Mary Ann
Graziani, science activities from Helen De la Maza, and the Article of the Week
from Frank Holes, Jr. Be sure to join up on our FACEBOOK page for StarTeaching for more reader
interaction as well as constant, updated streams of educational
information.

Of course, you should also check our website for a
number of updates and re-designed pages. We're starting to collect
quite a few articles from educational experts all over the world.
See these archives on our website: www.starteaching.com

See more of our Freebies as well as Special
Reports on our website by clicking the quick link below:

Check
out our collection of FREE online resources, including the SQ3R
sheet for reading and the
Paragraph
Graphic Organizer for writing. These are forms you
can fill in online and print, or have your students fill them in
and print them for class!

Are you interested in advertising with us?
Want to reach an audience of thousands each month? The
StarTeaching newsletter is sent out twice a month, and advertising is
available on our website.
Click the link below for more information:Advertise
with Us!

Need a position in a K-12 school, administration, or a coaching
job? Our website has just gained access to a specialized
service just for our members and newsletter readers. Job
listings, application and interviewing tips, and priceless
information, at your fingertips!

At track practice, Dalton practiced running the hurdles for 30 minutes. Then he practiced the
high jump for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If Dalton's track practice ended at 5:30 P.M., what time
did it start?

Day 7

Stan and his sister watched a cartoon movie that was 1 hour long. After the movie, they played
a card game for 1 hour and then played soccer for 30 minutes. When they came in from playing
soccer, it was 3:30 P.M. What time did Stan and his sister start watching the movie?

Day
8

Desiree and her friends went to a movie on Thursday afternoon. They left at 2:30 P.M. It took
30 minutes to drive to the theater. They arrived at the theater 1 hour before the movie started.
Once it started, the movie lasted for 2 hours. What time was it when the movie ended?

Day
9

Erik took a flight to Australia. He left his house at 6:30 A.M. It took 30 minutes to get to the
airport, and Erik spent 1 hour at the airport before his flight took off. What time was it when
Erik's flight departed?

Day 10

Jane starting playing video games as soon as she got home from school. She played video
games for 58 minutes. Then, it took Jane 1 hour and 24 minutes to finish her homework.
When Jane finished her homework, it was 4:12 P.M. What time did Jane get home from school?

Be sure to visit Mary Ann Graziani's website to pick
up a copy of any of her THREE books for sale

Learning in
Hand is an
educator's resource for using some of the coolest technologies
with students.

Tony is a teacher who
wants to make education effective, relevant, and fun. He knows
handhelds are small computers that can make a big difference in
classrooms! He hopes Learning in Hand inspires and motivates
teachers to use technology that students crave.